Dancehall
Dancehall is a Jamaican style in which vocalists called deejays chat, toast or sing in Patois over sparse, hard-hitting rhythm tracks known as riddims.
It emerged in the late 1970s in Kingston's dance halls as a rawer, more local alternative to roots reggae. From the mid-1980s producers switched to digital drum machines and synths, which made it faster and more electronic. Many different artists record over the same riddim, and the focus on rhythm, slang and dancing sets it apart from reggae's slower, message-led songs.
Artists it is known for: Yellowman, Shabba Ranks, Beenie Man, Sean Paul.
- Family
- Reggae & Caribbean
- On Spotify
- A current genre
- What it is
- A genre
- From
- Kingston, Jamaica, late 1970s
- Also called
- ragga, bashment
- Trackify listeners who play it
- 3%
About 2,200 of 83,000 Trackify listeners with public profiles have dancehall among their top artists of the last four weeks. Rounded; updated 13 November 2026.
Dancehall artists
Burna Boy
Sean Paul
Vybz Kartel
Popcaan
Rvssian
Malie Donn
Alkaline
ShenseeaThe dancehall artists most Trackify listeners have in their top fifty. Each opens on Spotify.
Sources
The definition is written for this site from open sources, and was checked against them on 13 November 2026.